Overview & Reviews

"Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?" That's the opening line of "Mercedes-Benz," a song most famously recorded by singer Janis Joplin in the early 1970s. The tune gently poked fun at materialism and our desire for the finer things in life. It's fitting that the renowned German marque figures prominently in the lyric. Mercedes-Benz has long been known for crafting vehicles that emphasize luxury and refinement. For many, its vehicles are sleek symbols of status, success and good taste.

In January of 1886, Karl Benz unveiled the world's first automobile, a three-wheeled vehicle dubbed the Benz Patent Motor Car. A few months later, Gottlieb Daimler and his chief engineer Wilhelm Maybach rolled out a four-wheeled vehicle powered by his Daimler engine. The first Mercedes was crafted in 1901, shortly after Daimler's death. Built by Maybach, the car was commissioned by Emil Jellinek, one of Daimler's primary distributors, and was ultimately named after Jellinek's daughter, Mercedes.

In 1926, the companies founded by Daimler and Benz merged to form Daimler-Benz AG, and the Mercedes-Benz brand was born. The company's insignia was a three-pointed star wreathed in a laurel; the star was dreamed up by Daimler years earlier, and its three points signified the fact that his engines were used in vehicles that traveled land, air and sea.

Right from the start, the Mercedes-Benz name was synonymous with automotive excellence. One of the automaker's earliest vehicles, the 1931 Mercedes-Benz 170, distinguished itself as the world's first production car to offer a technology that was nothing short of extraordinary for the day: four-wheel independent suspension. The '30s and '40s saw Mercedes establishing itself as the brand of choice for car buyers seeking the ultimate in luxury, thanks to coveted cruisers like the 380 and 540K.

The 1950s witnessed the introduction of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing," a sports car that has been described as being the world's first supercar. With its dramatic styling and race-bred technology, the 300 SL reigns today as a classic coveted by collectors worldwide. The decade also saw Daimler-Benz making strides in the area of safety technology. The company's Mercedes-Benz 220 sedans were the first vehicles to incorporate its patented "crumple zone" body design, created to absorb impact in the event of a crash.

In 1963, the company cemented its reputation as the home of automotive luxury with the launch of the Mercedes-Benz 600. The elegant, luxurious sedan was also available as a limousine and featured an ahead-of-its-time air suspension system and a V8 engine that boasted 300 horsepower. The decade also saw the launch of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3. This full-size sedan went from zero to 60 in under seven seconds, distinguishing itself as the quickest luxury car is its day.

The 1970s saw the birth of the brand's storied S-Class line of vehicles, opulent sedans and coupes that coddled passengers with powerful engines and a long list of luxury features. The decade also saw Mercedes continuing on the cutting edge of safety technology, by being the first to offer antilock brakes in its vehicles.

Daimler-Benz's safety advancements continued in the 1980s. Its cars were the first to offer airbags and traction control. The manufacturer also raised the bar in terms of ride comfort and handling when it introduced multilink rear suspension. The technology debuted on the compact Mercedes-Benz 190 E, and it remains a vital component of the company's chassis engineering to this day.

Mercedes-Benz vehicles got an extra dose of power and performance in the 1990s, thanks to the manufacturer's partnership with AMG, a performance and tuning shop that was eventually purchased by the company to help produce ultra-high-performance versions of some of its vehicles. The first AMG model offered in the U.S. was the sporty C36 AMG in 1995; since then, Mercedes has gone on to offer an AMG-tuned version of almost all of its vehicles.

The company's current lineup is the most comprehensive in its history. With a variety of sedans, coupes, SUVs and roadsters filling Mercedes showrooms, it seems like the only thing missing is a pickup truck. Surely, the fact that Janis Joplin's song holds as much relevance today as it did four decades ago is a strong indicator that the brand's premier status is still very much intact.

User Reviews:

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  I like the M-class - 2004 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By hellenemd - November 10 - 10:00 am

  I enjoy this car fully. The power is more than enough to go when I need to go and it has already saved me problems on the road by just the get up and go it has in reserve. Transition to fast from slow is effortless and the engine barely breaths hard in producing that power without hesitation.

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  S55 AMG - 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By JAY RAY 916 - November 10 - 10:00 am

  UNBELIEVABLE, NO ROAD NOISE SMOOTH SHIFTING AND PURE POWER AND HANDLING

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  Great Car! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By S600SEL - November 10 - 10:00 am

  I purchased the ML500 12 months old and got a great deal, nearly half off and with a 100,000 8 year warranty. I cant believe I lived without GPS for so long. It is not as smooth as my S- class but now I can haul stuff. I would not want to be in another car after a serious accident last year. I will take poor milage for the safety trade-off.

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  Excellent Car - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By AA BOCA - November 10 - 10:00 am

  Excellent car for the money. I checked BMW 3 series, Lexus IS 300 and Volvo S60. So far the best drive and comfort and value compared to mentioned. The dealer was kind of not to MB standard. They need to change there customer handling procedures. Over all A great car!Go buy it over BMW or Lexus,

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  Not for this BMW lover - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By boop - November 9 - 12:43 pm

  First: sloppy tranny. The gear changes are very jumpy and noticable by passengers. On hill, I can floor the accelerator and get little to no power. The dealership, saw it twice, & states the tranny is fine. Take your foot off the gas and it downshifts noticibly, all by itself. It does not hold tight curves or the road on bumpy surfaces, very scary. Drives like an expensive Blazer! The Nav system is one of the most complicated I have seen. This is no X5I Question the skills of anyone calling him/herself an avid driver, if they say they like this vehicle. There is one positive, It is sending me right back to the wonderful skilled machinery of BMW for the rest of my life

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  We call it "Papa Bear Car" - 1999 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  By Geronimo - November 9 - 10:00 am

  Our second 140-body Benz, total 15 years. Drove a 93 two extra years while I looked for a clean lo-mile 99, the 140s last year. Father- in-laws a big guy who played basketball for Pitt, so we need big front AND back seats. Mausoleum-quiet, heavy, comfortable. Four people can have a civilized conversation @ 70 mph. Dont buy one if youre not up to the parts chase, and the search for cooperative repair shops. But at $10K for a good lo- mileage example, this is a LOT of road car for the money. Used S cars have great initial- build-quality per dollar. Dont buy one unless you really want a big old German car with a decidedly Teutonic personality.

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  sl550 - 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By tsiamas - November 9 - 10:00 am

  Love the car but have less then 10K miles and have changed front tires (bulging), and two wheel rims.

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  Best value car, time saver - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Hal Altan - November 9 - 4:06 am

  I have driven this vehicle new for 3 years (45,000 miles), I had to take it back to a dealer 6 times. 3 regular maintenance (oil change every 12,000 miles), 1 temp sensor flaky, 1 oxygen sensor replacement (kept giving engine fault error) 1 bulb burn out. Other than 3 oil changes I did not have to pay a penny (including the burned out bulb, Mercedes paid for it.) It drives like a dream (very quiet, just glides, not a grinding engine or bearing sound. I believe, it is the best value car.

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  Dangerous car - 2008 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By Lewis L - November 8 - 12:26 am

  I own a CL600 and recently had a total brake failure. I hit a wall doing about 60mph. No airbag deployment, presafe brake failed, and no warning about the brakes. Mercedes lawyered up and refuses to deal with this. Ive had lots of other little problems, but am shocked at how they treat customers buying a flagship model.

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  MB - 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Albert - November 5 - 7:40 pm

  Outstanding quality. A true road car. Exceptionally "sure footed" in all conditions. After five years and 41,000 miles this vehicle still looks and runs like new, a tribute to the manufacturing process.